width of stock (steel) rims on '04 silverado (reg cab, long bed) ?

I'm looking to replace all four tires--all of them have "weather cracking" which runs the circumference of the tire inside all of the treads. They would probably be ok, for a while, in & about town... but I wouldn't want to take extended trips, at interstate speeds, with these tires.

I would like to know the RIM WIDTH (in inches) so I can shop around for replacement tires.

Yes, the stock wheels on my truck are 16" rims. The door jam sticker calls for 235/75R16 (alternatively 255/70R16). The tires on my truck, currently (and obviously not OEM) are 245/75R16. I think I can go with 265/70R16, but if the rim WIDTH is only 6.5" then I don't think it would be safe to mount the wider (265) tires... although height profile-wise the 265/70R16 is equivalent to the 245/75R16s which are currently on the truck.

I've been told by a tire dealer (treadquarters) that the 265/70R16s will be OK... but, I hesitate to take their word for it (salespeople that they are). I was hoping a GM/Chevy expert, here on these forums, would know for certain if my stock rims are 7" (not 6.5") wide... if so, the 265/70R16s would work for me (found a set of four online, the Yokohama "Prodigy H/T", for $420 w/free shipping and no state sales tax... @ http://tinyurl.com/3xk24ya ). I don't "off road" and average less than 7K-miles/year... so I'm not looking to buy the latest/greatest/biggest/best/most-expensive tires out there.

If you know they're 6.5" wide rims... I'll have to stay with the 245/75R16 (the Yokohama Geolandar H/T-S G051 in that size would be $428 for a set of four... @ http://tinyurl.com/2apbaom ).

I am assuming that you have the 1500? If it is the 2500 then I know for sure that it the rims are a 16x6.5 even on the aluminum wheels. Not really recommended but I have 315's on the 6.5, so the 265 will fit fine. recommended for a 255 and up is 7-9.